In conventional construction, sheet materials are attached to support structures to form walls or ceilings. When sheet materials, such as dry wall or gypsum board, are attached to the support structure using screws or nails, sound can be transmitted through the sheet material and into the support structure. The waves associated with the sound can then be transmitted throughout the support structure, such as to adjacent rooms or to other spaces in communication with the support structure. Such transmission of sound results in an increase in ambient noise within a building. A cacophony resulting therefrom is of particular concern in close quarter residence and business settings.
For example, FIG. 1 includes an illustration of a conventional wall construction that includes studs or support structures 10, a sheet material 12 on one side of the support structure 10 and a sheet material 14 on the other side of the support structure 10. As illustrated, the sheet materials 12 and 14 are secured directly to the support structure 10. As illustrated in FIG. 2, sound waves 16 that contact the sheet material 14 traverse through the support structure 10 and exit the sheet material 12 to produce sound waves 18. Accordingly, direct connection of sheet materials to the support structure offers little or limited attenuation or damping of the sound traversing from one side of a wall to another.
As such, builders have turned to the use of sound damping techniques in construction projects where noise is of concern. However, conventional sound damping techniques are less effective at lower frequencies. With trends in music lending to an increasing amount of low frequency sound generation and with the on going use of equipment, such as air conditioning systems and refrigerator compressors, that produces low frequency sound vibrations, improved sound damping, particularly at lower frequencies is of great concern.
As such, an improved sound damping system would be desirable.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.